The Recipe Box by Hazel Evans

Copyright ÂŠ Hazel Evans 2011 The author Hazel Evans retains sole copyright to all images, text and other content of this publication.

Contents 3 A few things to note before diving straight into using this book...

Savoury... 6 Carrot & Corriander Soup 8 Deliciously Stuffed Red Peppers 10 Classic Spinach Cannelloni 12 Soupe à l’Oignon 14 Crunchy Pesto 16 Sweet Potato Dauphinois 18 Creamy Courgette Lasagne 20 Honey Mustard Dressing 22 Marmite Whirlies 24 The Perfect Guacamole 26 Squash/Pumpkin Soup 28 Chickpea Curry 30 Spinach, Egg-White and Feta Toastie 32 The Secret Hummus Recipe 34 Marrow & Roast Garlic Soup

Sweet... 38 Sticky Toffee Pudding 40 Healthy Nutty Brownies 42 Sweet Coffee Cake 44 Failsafe Soft Fudge 46 The Softest Cookies 48 Carrot & Orange Drizzle Cake 50 Fruit Sorbets 52 Apple & Cinnamon Flapjacks 54 German Plum Cake 56 Lemon & Ginger Pudding 58 Spiced Honey Cupcakes 60 Chocolate Mousse 62 A Simple Apple Cake 64 Chewy Gingernut Biscuits 66 Millionaire Shortbread 69 With thanks to...

A few things to note before diving straight into using this book... Each recipe is accompanied by a short description beneath the title. What it contains varies depending on the recipe. This is where you’ll find the serving amount (if relevant) and the approximate amount of time it will take you to make. It may also give advice on what time of the year is best to make it. So, anyway, it’s useful to read this section if deciding which recipe to use. The ingredients are located to the left hand side of the page, with amounts in both metric and imperial. There may be “optional” ingredients. Use them if they’re to your taste, and if you happen to have them in stock. Some ingredients offer a choice, such as “feta/ricotta”. In this case, choose your favourite, or the one it is easiest for you to get hold of. If you’re really undecided, go half and half! Recipes often include “Variations” and it’s worth looking at these beforehand. Something you like the look of might catch your eye! If you’re unsure, however, it’s best to do the normal recipe, and move on to experimenting the next time you make it. Each recipe is set out in clear, numbered steps. Often it’s worth reading ahead a few steps, to check if there’s anything you could be doing if you’re waiting. Below this, there’s often a section containing serving or garnishing ideas, which is worth looking at before obtaining the recipe ingredients, so you can think about any extras you might need, at the same time.

Savoury...

Carrot & Corriander Soup Nothing fancy, but makes a brilliant lunch or starter. Perhaps a light dinner if you’re not feeling up to much. Simple, cheap, quick, delicious, easy to store frozen or fresh...

3 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion 2 medium potatoes

1. 2.

4 medium carrots (roughly) 2 handfuls fresh corriander

sprinklings salt and black pepper 4. 5.

In a small frying, heat the oil over a medium heat. Chop onions, then add to oil once hot. Fry until soft and clear. Meanwhile, put a large pan half-full of water on to boil. Peel and slice carrots and put into boiling water. Peel and dice chop potato, and add to pan. Reduce to a medium heat and cover. Once carrots and potatoes are soft and you can slide a knife through them easily, add onions to large pan. Break up corriander roughly and add to pan (it doesn’t need chopping, as it’ll be blended). Cover and simmer for a little longer. Remove from heat and blend thoroughly using a handheld blender. If too thick, add some cold water, stir in and cook for a little longer. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve! Garnish each bowl with a sprig of fresh corriander. This soup tastes brilliant with a swirl of natural yoghurt and some fresh bread and butter to dip in!

Deliciously Stuﬀed Peppers Peppers can be stuffed with anything you want, but this combination brings out the flavour of each ingredient perfectly. They take under an hour to make, and can be reheated (at a lower temperature) if you have any left over. Makes 8 - 10 filled pepper halves. 4 large red peppers

Preheat oven to 200 ̊C/400°F/gas mark 6. Cut peppers in half, then remove the stalk and seeds, cutting as close to the stalk as possible, so as to keep the peppers bowl-like. Place on baking tray and 5 small red peppers drizzle with olive oil. 2 tbsp olive oil (for 3. Place in oven for 20 - 25 minutes until fairly tender. drizzling) 4. Meanwhile, tip couscous into a large mixing bowl and add boiling stock. Leave for 5 minutes to soak (meanwhile, proceed to step 5), then fluff up with a fork. 50 g / 2 oz couscous 5. Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan. Finely dice the mushrooms. Chop 100 ml / ¼ pint boiling vegetable leek in half lengthways, then slice thinly. Add these to the pan once the oil is stock hot. Crush garlic and also add to pan. Stir until browned and soft. Don’t worry 3 tbsp olive oil (for frying) about needing more oil, they’ll cook in the mushroom liquid. 250 g / 8¾ oz wild mushrooms (try 6. Meanwhile, finely dice the halloumi cheese and chop up the parsley. Add to the shiitake, girolle, couscous. chestnut or oyster) 7. Once peppers are fairly tender, remove from oven (but leave on) and empty of any excess liquid. 1 small leek 8. Add mushrooms and leeks (avoid adding too much cooking liquid) to couscous 1 garlic clove and stir in. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 250 g / 8¾ oz halloumi cheese 9. Scoop couscous into pepper halves, pressing down into the base and the sides. It doesn’t matter if the filling has to be piled on top, so long as it’s all pressed 2 - 3 tsp fresh parsley/leaf down. Grate a little cheddar cheese (if using) over each pepper. garlic sprinklings salt and black pepper 10. Return peppers to oven for 15 minutes and remove once halloumi is browned on top. (optional) 50 g / 2 oz cheddar cheese or

Garlic Bread Crush 3 - 4 garlic cloves and mix with a large knob of butter. Mix in a tbsp leaf garlic/parsley (chopped finely). Butter 4 slices bread and grill on medium until toasted.

1. 2.

Serve as a starter or as a meal, with garlic bread and a fresh mixed salad with dressing. Delicious!

Classic Spinach Cannelloni Sounds daunting, complicated and long, when it is in fact one of the easiest and quickest meals to make, with the added bonus that it looks fancy, sounds extravagant and is indescribably tasty! Serves 5 (roughly).

8 - 10 dried lasagne sheets

or 8 - 10 fresh lasagne sheets

2 tins tomatoes 1 garlic clove

sprinkling mixed herbs 250 g / 8¾ oz packet of spinach

250 g / 8¾ oz tub of ricotta 100 g / 4 oz parmesan cheese sprinklings salt and black pepper 5. (optional) 50 g / 2 oz mozzarella/cheddar 6. 7.

8. 9.

Preheat oven to 200 ̊C/400°F/gas mark 6. If using dried lasagne, Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add lasagne sheets to pan. You will need enough to cover the base of your oven dish twice, ie. enough to make two layers. Cook sheets for 5 minutes until soft, stirring so they don’t stick together. Then plunge sheets into cold water, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Set aside. If using fresh lasagne, get it out and ready now! Heat a little oil in a small frying pan and crush garlic into it. Fry for 2 minutes, then add tomatoes from tins (reserve the liquid from the tins). Cook, stirring occasionally, over a high heat, until sauce-like. Add plenty of mixed herbs and stir in. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine spinach and ricotta using hands. Grate in half of the parmesan and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in. Spoon ⅓ tomato sauce into the base of a large ovenproof dish. Taking each sheet in turn, use about ⅛ - 1⁄10 of the mixture (depending on the amount of lasagne sheets you’re using) and spread evenly over the sheet. Then take one of the shortest sides and roll the sheet up tightly. Place in the dish, on top of the tomato sauce, trying to keep it rolled up (this will get easier once you add more to keep it in place). Once your dish is full, spoon the remainder of the tomato sauce over the top and drizzle over the liquid from the tinned tomatoes. Grate the rest of the parmesan and mozzarella/cheddar (if using) over the top. Cook in oven for about 20 minutes, until cheese is golden and sauce is sizzling.

Soupe à l Oignon You will almost always have the ingredients to make this soup. It is so simple, easy, cheap and, most importantly, delicious! The soup itself is meant to be quite watery, but the croutons make it deliciously creamy and thick. Even so, perhaps more starter/light lunch material. Serves 4. 4 large white onions large knob butter 2 tbsp marmite 800 ml / 1½ pints boiling water

1. 2. 3. 4.

2 handfuls fresh herbs (thyme/ rosemary/basil or whatever is available) 5. sprinklings salt and black pepper 4 slices bread

125 g / 4 oz cheddar/gruyère/ parmesan cheese

Variations Leek Use 4 leeks instead of 7. onions, for a slightly different flavour. Potato If you don’t want to use croutons for some reason, add 2 medium potatoes, peeled and finely diced after step 1 and bring to boil with onions.

Chop onions roughly. Melt butter over a medium heat in a large deep pan. Add onions to butter once melted. Stir to prevent onions sticking to pan. Dissolve marmite in measuring jug with boiling water and once onions are soft and clear, add water to pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Leave to simmer for about 45 minutes. Add herbs and as much salt and pepper as desired. If blending, add herbs in chunks, if not, chop finely before adding. Either remove pan from heat and blend using a handheld blender, or leave soup unblended. Traditional “Soupe à l’Oignon” is left unblended, however, the flavours merge better if you blend it, and creates a much creamier soup. Preheat grill to a medium heat. Toast bread (in toaster if quicker) and chop into squares. Pour soup into a casserole dish that will fit into your grill and put all of the croutons into this. Grate cheese over the top, sprinkle with a little black pepper. Grill (with lid off) until bread is dissolved, cheese is brown and soup has become nice and thick. If you don’t own a casserole dish, just grate the cheese and place the croutons at the bottom of each serving bowl, then pour the soup over the top and stir it a little to thicken. Serve, with extra croutons and cheese if desired. If you’re planning on storing and/or freezing any of the soup, you’ll need to do this before adding the croutons or the cheese as they won’t keep for very long.

Crunchy Pesto Homemade pesto is much tastier than shop pesto, and this one even more so, with the surprisingly effective addition of walnuts. If planning ahead, it’s advisable to purchase a small pot of basil and water it for a few days - a very cheap option!

3 tbsp olive oil (for frying) 50 g / 2 oz pine nuts 40g / 1½ oz walnuts

1. 2.

2 cloves garlic large bunch basil 1 tbsp lemon juice 100 ml / ⅛ pint olive oil (for pesto)

3. 4.

100g + parmesan (finely grated) sprinkling sea salt sprinkling black pepper

In a small pan, heat frying oil over a low heat. Add pine nuts and fry until a light gold colour, stirring and turning occasionally. Remove from heat. Crush or roughly chop the garlic (it doesn’t matter if the pieces are quite large, as it will be blended with the other ingredients). Remove thick stalks from basil (although thin ones are good!). Using either a food processor or a handheld blender, blend lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and basil. If you’re able to change the settings of your processor in order to get a rougher texture, do this, then add the walnuts and pine nuts (with frying oil) and blend so that the texture remains coarse. This tastes better than a paste as it preserves all the individual flavours, and it’s crunchy! To achieve this with a handheld blender, one option is to chop the nuts finely, and simply stir them in with the parmesan. Alternatively you can blend them very lightly into the pesto. If pesto is too dry, either blend it more or add more olive oil, stirring in gradually. Remove blender and stir in the finely grated parmesan. Add more to taste Season to taste with salt and black pepper and serve, or pour into sealed container and cover with an extra drizzle of oil and store in fridge. Pesto can be served as a dip, on crackers/bread, in toasties, with pasta, and will keep if your pasta becomes a pasta salad.

Sweet Potato Dauphinois The famous french dish, with a bit of a twist, and many possible variations to try out as well. The dish sounds fancy, but it’s incredibly simple and quick to make, and the flavours compliment each other perfectly! Serves 4 1 tbsp soft butter

600 g / 21 oz sweet potatoes (Plain 2. (roughly 3 large) potatoes work as well, but aren’t as 3. sweet, and take longer to cook) 4. 3 cloves garlic 1 red onion 200 g / 8 oz mature cheddar

5. 6.

300 ml / ½ pint double cream sprinklings salt, black pepper and 7. mixed herbs 8. Variation Experiment This is a brilliant dish to experiment with; try replacing the potato with other veg, such as courgettes, squash, carrots. Use leeks instead of onions or replace the cheddar with a preferred cheese. For a bit of crunch, add nuts or breadcrumbs under the final layer of cheese.

Lightly grease a large round/square oven dish with butter. You could even use lots of smaller dishes, to make mini Dauphinois. Preheat oven to 180 ̊C/350°F/gas mark 4. Peel potatoes and slice as thin as possible (aim for about 3 mm). The thinner the potatoes are, the faster they cook. Chop onion finely. Arrange a single layer of potato slices to cover the bottom of the dish. They can overlap a little. Crush one garlic clove, and spread evenly over the layer of potato. Sprinkle ⅓ the sliced onion over the top. Grate ¼ cheddar cheese over the layer, and spread out evenly. Repeat step 4 for the second and third layers (and more, if your dish is very deep). For the final layer, lay out a layer of potato slices over the cheese and onion from the previous layer. Cover with the last ¼ of cheddar cheese and season to taste with salt, black pepper and herbs. Pour cream evenly over the potatoes. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes (depending on thickness of potato slices), until potato is soft. Serve with a side salad, Dauphinois is surprisingly filling!

Creamy Courgette Lasagne The perfect seasonal dish for using up all those courgettes! What’s more, it’s a brilliant variation of the standard lasagne recipe. Easy to make, and it only takes an hour in total! 4 - 6 dried lasagne sheets

Preheat oven to 200 ̊C/400°F/gas mark 6. If using dried lasagne, or 2. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add lasagne sheets to 4 - 6 fresh lasagne sheets pan. You will need enough to make two layers in your square oven dish. sprinkling olive oil (for 3. Boil sheets for 5 minutes until soft, stirring so they don’t stick together. Empty drizzling) water from pan, then rinse sheets in cool water, separate and set aside. Drizzle with a little oil. 1 tin tomatoes 3 tbsp olive oil (for frying) 4. Using the same pan, or a new one if desired, remove water and pour in tinned tomatoes, trying to keep most of the liquid in the tin. Cook tomatoes over a 1 onion medium heat, squashing against the side as you go. 2 cloves garlic 5. Meanwhile, in a large wok or deep saucepan, heat the olive oil. Peel and finely chop the onion. Crush the garlic cloves. Once oil is hot, add these and fry for 5 700 g / 24¾ oz courgettes (topped minutes. and tailed) - the 6. Grate the courgettes (with their skin) into the frying pan. Stir a little. smaller the better 7. Once courgettes are soft and bright green remove from heat. Grate ⅔ of the 150 g / 5¼ oz cheddar cheese cheddar cheese and crumble ⅔ of the feta/ricotta into the courgettes. Mix gently 250 g / 8¾ oz feta/ricotta cheese in. Season to taste with salt and pepper. many sprinklings salt, pepper & mixed 8. If tomatoes still contain a lot of liquid, bring to boil and stir to get a better sauce texture. Season with a sprinkling of mixed herbs. herbs If using fresh lasagne, work out how many sheets you need for two layers, and (optional) handful breadcrumbs place accordingly... (optional) handful mixed chopped nuts 9. In your square/rectangular oven dish, put half of the courgette mixture, retaining any liquid in the pan. Place enough of your soft lasagne sheets over the top to cover the dish (cut to size with kitchen scissors if not exactly right). Variation Then spread half of the tomato sauce over the top of the sheets. Alternative veg If you haven’t got 10. Repeat step 9 for the second layer. Then sprinkle over nuts and/or breadcrumbs enough/any (if using), grate the rest of the cheddar and crumble the rest of the feta/ricotta courgettes, use other over. Season with a little more pepper. vegetables, like 11. Cook in oven for 10 - 15 minutes. potatoes or carrots that you can grate in.

Honey Mustard Dressing By far the tastiest dressing for any salad; you’re bound to like it even if you’re not a huge fan of mustard! It only takes 2 minutes to make a small bottle full, and you can store it for several weeks. (optional) 1 - 2 cloves garlic 2 tsp wholegrain/dijon mustard 2 (heaped) tbsp honey 110 ml / ¼ pint olive oil 3 tbsp cider vinegar sprinkling black pepper & sea salt

Variation Balsamic Balsamic vinegar instead of cider vinegar gives a thicker texture and a slightly different taste. However, it will overpower the yellow colour.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

(If using) chop garlic cloves finely and add to glass jar/bottle/jug (with stopper or lid). Add mustard and honey. Measure out oil and pour in. Add the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper (you can add more later, so don’t overdo it) Seal the container, and shake for a good 30 seconds until all combined. If not quite to your taste, add small amounts of honey, mustard, vinegar or oil until it is. Season again if necessary. Either serve, or store in fridge. Storing it in the fridge helps the dressing to thicken.

Marmite Whirlies Even marmite-dislikers have been known to enjoy these! This is a quick, simple recipe that’ll give you about 30 of these delicious ‘whirlies’ to snack on.

120 g / 4 oz plain flour ½ tsp salt pinch cayenne pepper/ paprika 100 g /3½ oz finely grated cheese 75 g / 2½ oz margarine/soft butter ½ egg, whisked (roughly) 2 tbsp marmite 100 g / 3½ oz coarsely grated cheese (optional) 200g / 7 oz cream cheese (at room temperature) Variation Cheese Straws Once you’ve reached step 7, slice the pastry into strips, and place on tray. Bake for 10 15 minutes.

1. 2.

Preheat oven to 180 ̊C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a large baking tray. Sieve flour into a large mixing bowl, then combine with salt, cayenne pepper/ paprika and finely grated cheese. 3. Add margarine/soft butter and, with cold hands, work the mixture lightly with your fingertips, until it resembles breadcrumbs. 4. Add egg and cover with mixture before bringing the pastry together with your hands. It should stick together well, but if it doesn’t, add a teaspoon or two of cold water to moisten the pastry and make it stick. 5. Flour a flat, clean surface and, with floured hands, place the dough onto it. Knead with the palms of your hands for a minute or so. 6. Shape the dough into a cuboid in the middle of your floured surface, with the longer edges running parallel with the edge of the worktop. 7. Using a rolling pin, also dusted with flour, roll out the pastry, keeping it shaped like a rectangle, until it is about 3 mm thick. Make sure that the surface remains floured, or your pastry will stick. 8. Gently spread the marmite all over this side of the pastry, without breaking it. Aim to get a fairly thin spread. (If using) spread the cream cheese over the top of this. Then sprinkle the rest of the cheese over, making sure it covers the pastry evenly. 9. Take the long side of the pastry and roll it up carefully, making it as tight as possible, without breaking it. Once complete, secure the edge to the roll using wet fingers. 10. Cut each whirlie about 6 mm thick. The best way to do this is to hold the bottom of the roll few millimetres in, then slice down with a sharp knife. 11. Place the whirlies on the baking tray, about 1 cm apart. If you wish to use up the other ½ of egg, you can brush it over the whirlies to give them a crispier finish. 12. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Leave to cool for a further 5 minutes.

The Perfect Guacamole Guacamole takes less than 5 minutes to make; it is best eaten fresh as it doesn’t last for long, but it’s so delicious, that storing it shouldn’t be a problem! Makes a bowl full.

3 - 4 tbsp lemon juice 2 ripe avocadoes 1 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic sprinkling sea salt

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Squeeze lemon juice into a small mixing bowl. Cut each avocado in half, take out the stone and scoop out all the flesh (don’t use overripe brown bits though) and put in lemon juice. Mash avocado with juice until smooth. (The lemon juice keeps the avocado fresh for longer.) Stir in the oil. Peel and crush the garlic cloves into the bowl. Stir in. Season with plenty of salt to taste. To garnish, place a sprig of fresh mint or lemon balm and a slice of lemon. Serve on Nachos, crackers, toast or with slices of cheese to dip in.

Butternut Squash/Pumpkin Soup Butternut Squash and Pumpkin are perfect for soups. Their textures are so soft and creamy, and their flavours so brilliant, it’s almost unnecessary to add anything else, except of course, the other (little) ingredients in this recipe!

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion 2 cloves garlic

½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg 1 small potato (optional) ½ red chilli

3. 4. 5.

1 tbsp marmite 500 ml / 1 pint boiling water (roughly) 600 g / 21 oz butternut squash/ pumpkin (peeled and deseeded) 2 tbsp fresh rosemary sprinklings salt and black pepper (optional) 2 tbsp brown sugar

6. 7.

In a large, deep pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Chop onion, then add to oil once hot. Chop or crush garlic cloves and add to onions. Fry together for 5 minutes Add nutmeg and cinnamon and stir in. Peel and finely chop potato, and add to pan. Finely chop chilli, add to pan, and fry for a few more minutes. Dissolve the marmite in boiling water, and add half of this to the pan. Dice the squash/pumpkin and tip into pan. Add enough of the stock so that the vegetables in the pan are almost fully covered. Save any extra for later. Add rosemary and cover pan. Leave to simmer until potato and squash/pumpkin are soft. Remove from heat and blend in the pan, using a handheld blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. If soup isn’t sweet enough, add a little brown sugar. If soup is too thick, add the rest of your marmite stock, or some cold water, and return to heat. Serve with natural yoghurt, swirled in, croutons and fresh herbs.

Chickpea Curry A deliciously creamy curry. Once the chickpeas are ready, it takes about an hour to make. Serves 3 - 4. If using dried chickpeas, leave to soak in the morning, so they’re ready to cook with by dinner time! 125 g / 4 oz dried chickpeas or 275 g / 10 oz tinned chickpeas (in water)

1. 2.

1 large / 2 small potato(es) 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion

(optional) 1 red pepper (optional) ½ green chilli (optional) large cashew nuts handful

½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp ground corriander

5. 6.

½ tsp garam masala (optional) 3 tbsp vegetable oil (optional) 3 medium tomatoes

If using dried chickpeas, Rinse chickpeas through with cold water before putting into a large deep pan, with enough fresh cold water to fully cover them. Leave to soak for 4 - 8 hours. Drain the pan so all that remains are the chickpeas. Rinse again. Fill pan halffull with fresh cold water, cover. Simmer gently for an hour. Top up water if it runs dry. Drain the chickpeas into a sieve with a jug/bowl beneath to catch the cooking water (set this aside for later). Remove any burnt chickpeas. Meanwhile, wash, peel and dice potatoes to roughly 2 cm³ each. Place in a pan of water. Bring to boil, then simmer until slightly softened (they’ll soften more later in the curry). Drain, and put potato pieces in a bowl with chickpeas. If using tinned chickpeas, drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Peel and roughly chop onion. Deseed and chop pepper to a similar size (if using). Finely chop green chilli (if using). Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or a wok, heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat. Add the sliced veg and cashews (if using) and fry for 2 minutes. Then add all the dry spices, stir in and fry for a further 8 minutes, until peppers softened. Mix in the chickpeas and potatoes, and the reserved cooking water. Bring pan to boil, then reduce to a medium heat. If using tomatoes, heat the vegetable oil in a separate pan. Meanwhile, thickly slice the tomatoes. Place these into the hot oil to fry. Once fried on one side, turn them over and fry the other side. Season with salt and pepper. Once curry is thick and creamy, add coconut milk (if using) and tomatoes (once ready). Season with salt and chopped parsley/corriander.

(optional) 3 - 4 tbsp coconut milk sprinkling salt large handful corriander/parsley

To garnish, top with natural yoghurt and extra corriander/parsley. Serve with naan bread and/or rice.

Spinach, Egg-White and Feta Toastie A combination of flavours picked up in America, despite sounding odd, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something about cooking these ingredients together that makes them irresistibly delicious! Makes one perfect breakfast, lunch or savoury snack!

3 tbsp olive oil 3 large handfuls baby spinach

1. 2.

2 egg-whites 100 g / 4 oz feta cheese

3. sprinklings salt and black pepper 4. 1 muffin/bagel or 1 pitta bread or 2 slices bread

5. 6.

In a small frying, sautĂŠ the spinach in the oil over a gentle heat. Once softened and moist, make a well in the centre of the pan, add a little oil into it and pour in the egg-whites. Cover pan and leave for 2 - 3 minutes to cook. Meanwhile, toast your muffin/bagel/pitta (cut in half first!) or slices of bread. Once the egg is cooked, stir into the spinach, crumble in the feta and add salt and pepper, to taste. Let the feta melt a little and soak up the flavourings. Butter your muffin/bagel/pitta/bread and spoon the spinach mixture onto/into it. Enjoy!

The Secret Hummus Recipe Nothing beats homemade hummus and, due to the (no longer) secret ingredient of pine nuts, this hummus tastes even better! Once the chickpeas are ready, making hummus takes no time at all; it is a simple matter of blending and eating! 125 g / 4 oz dried chickpeas or 275 g / 10 oz tinned chickpeas (in water) large knob butter large handful pine nuts

2. 3.

2 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp tahini paste

2 cloves garlic 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin

sprinkling sea salt 6. 7.

If using dried chickpeas, Rinse chickpeas through with cold water before putting into a large deep pan, with enough fresh cold water to fully cover them. Leave to soak for 4 - 8 hours (preferably overnight). Drain the pan so all that remains are the chickpeas. Rinse again and dispose of any bad chickpeas. Fill pan half-full with fresh cold water, cover. Bring to boil. Boil chickpeas for 2 minutes, then reduce and leave to simmer for 2 hours. Top up water if it runs dry. When a chickpea can be easily crushed against the side of the pan with a fork, remove from heat. Drain the chickpeas into a sieve with a jug/bowl beneath to catch the cooking water (set this aside for later). Run the chickpeas under cold water and set aside to cool. (Whilst waiting, proceed to step 5.) If using tinned chickpeas, drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Using the same pan or a small frying pan, gently heat a generous knob of butter. When liquid, add a large handful of pine nuts (or 30g if you want to be precise) and fry in butter, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from heat. Peel, crush (or roughly chop) garlic cloves. Using a handheld blender or a food processor, blend chickpeas, pine nuts (can include oil from pan), lemon juice, tahini paste, garlic, olive oil, cumin and 10 tbsp (or 150ml) drained chickpea water (if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough, use cold water as well). Blend until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. If texture is too thick, add tablespoons of cooking water or cold water and stir in, until texture is as desired. Add plenty of salt, as this really helps to emphasise the flavour, and mix in until taste is as desired. To garnish, drizzle some olive oil and swirl, sprinkle on paprika/cayenne pepper, add a segment of lemon and a sprig of corriander/parsley. Serve with warm pitta

Marrow & Roast Garlic Soup Marrow has one of the most brilliant textures, and a flavour that is perfect for soups! Roast garlic compliments it perfectly. If you grow courgettes, let one grow into a marrow, if not, find a friend who does! Courgettes don’t have quite enough flesh for a soup, and marrows are more suited, but you can still try this recipe using courgettes.

3 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion 1 medium potato (roughly) 400 g / 14 oz marrow

1. 2. 3.

(optional) any other unused veg/ 4. lettuce ½ tsp turmeric 1 tsp curry powder

50 g / 2 oz garlic bulb (unpeeled) 6. 2 tbsp marmite/vegetable stock 600 ml / 1 pint boiling water 1 tsp lemon juice ½ tsp soy sauce few sprigs fresh tarragon/sage few sprigs fresh rosemary sprinklings salt and black pepper

7. 8. 9.

In a large, deep pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Chop onions, then add to oil once hot. Fry until onions are soft and clear. Peel and finely chop potato, and add to pan. Peel and deseed marrow and chop roughly. Add to pan and stir. Chop and add any extra veg/lettuce now (if using). Preheat oven to 180 ̊C/350°F/gas mark 4. Add turmeric and curry powder to pan and fry veg for a little longer, stirring occasionally. Dissolve the marmite/stock in boiling water, and add to the pan gradually, stirring as you go. Cover and simmer on a medium heat. Place garlic bulb (full and unpeeled) on oven tray and put into oven. Roast for 10 - 15 minutes until soft and squishy. Remove garlic from oven and squeeze out flesh into pan. Don’t worry about having too much garlic, the flavour is less potent once roasted. The best way to squeeze the flesh out is to do each clove separately. Snip of the end of the clove, then squeeze the flesh out using your thumb and forefinger. Add lemon juice, soy sauce, tarragon/sage, rosemary and give soup a good stir. Once vegetables are soft and soup is not too watery, remove from heat and blend using a handheld blender. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve! Tastes brilliant with a swirl of natural yoghurt or cream cheese and some fresh bread and butter to dip in!

Sweet... 37

Sticky Toﬀee Pudding Particularly when it’s cold outside, this pudding is the best to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It’s really easy to make, doesn’t take very long, and of course, it tastes amazing! It’s best to make just before you want it served. The Cake 200 g / 7 oz dried dates, stoned 1 standard tea bag or 1 tbsp loose leaf black tea 250 ml / ½ pint water ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 85 g / 3 oz softened butter 175g / 6¼ oz golden caster sugar 1 tsp mixed spice (or combine cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger) 175g / 6¼ oz self-raising flour 2 eggs The Sticky Toffee 150 g / 5¼ oz butter 160 g / 5½ oz brown sugar 200 ml / ¼ pint double cream (optional) ice cream (for serving)

Preheat oven to 180 ̊C/350°F/gas mark 4. Remove butter from fridge to soften, if you haven’t already done so. 2. Grease a large loaf or cake tin. Put water on to boil. 3. Meanwhile, chop the dates in half lengthways. Once water boiled, measure out 250 ml / ½ pint of it in jug and add tea. Leave to brew. 4. Remove teabag/leaves and put tea into a small pan over a gentle heat. Add dates. Simmer for 5 minutes for dates to soften and absorb the tea. Remove from heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Set aside to cool. 5. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and creamy. 6. Combine the flour with the mixed spice. Beat the eggs. Add the eggs and flour to mixing bowl alternatively, stirring until smooth between each addition. 7. Fold in the tea/date mixture until fairly well combined. 8. Pour into greased tin. Cook in oven for 40 - 60 minutes until a skewer through the centre comes out clean. 9. Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce. Melt the butter, brown sugar and cream over a low heat until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat a little until sauce begins to bubble. Then reduce to simmer again. Cook until the sauce is toffee-coloured and tastes good! 10. Once cake is cooked, remove from tin, cut into squares and serve each portion with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of hot toffee sauce. If you don’t manage to eat up the entire pudding and sauce first time round, it can be stored in the fridge and reheated at a later date; the sauce in a pan over low heat and the pudding in a warm oven.

Healthy Nutty Brownies ...if you're allowed to give brownies such an adjective. Despite being healthy, these brownies do still contain chocolate, only, less than most brownie recipes. However they are still delicious, soft, chewy and very easy to make!

110 g / 3¾ oz butter 70 g / 2½ oz dark chocolate 225 g / 8 oz granulated sugar 2 eggs 50 g / 2 oz plain flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 110 g / 3¾ oz nuts (walnuts/ almonds/brazil/ hazelnuts/pecan/ macadamia preferably an assortment)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Preheat oven to 180 ̊C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a 16 cm / 6” square tin (or rough equivalent) with greaseproof paper, and press into the base of the tin. Break up chocolate and slice butter and melt over boiling water, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Then add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt and mix together. Chop nuts in half, for a crunchy texture and add to mixture. If you have any chocolate leftover, chop into chunks and add to the mixture. Once chocolate and butter have melted, stir together, then stir into the mixing bowl. Pour mixture into tin and level out. Bake in oven for 20 - 30 minutes until crust is firm and skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool before cutting into squares and serving and/or storing.

Sweet Coﬀee Cake Even non-coffee drinkers (as well as hardcore coffee-drinkers) will adore this light, caramel coloured, delicious cake! Simple and quick to make, with no fancy ingredients either. 1. The Cake 150 g / 5¼ oz margarine/soft butter 2. 150 g / 5¼ oz caster sugar 3 eggs 150 g / 5¼ oz self-raising flour

3. 4.

1 tbsp instant coffee powder or

1 espresso shot The Icing 100 g / 3½ oz butter 225 g / 8 oz icing sugar 1½ tbsp instant coffee powder

or 1 - 2 espresso shots (optional) 2 walnuts (to decorate) handfuls (optional) handful grated chocolate Variation Mocha Cake Instead of the coffee in the cake, use 75 g cocoa powder and only 125 g flour. Use 2 - 3 tbsp coffee for the icing. Decorate with chocolate.

Preheat oven to 160 ̊C/325°F/gas mark 3. Grease two sandwich tins or one larger cake tin. For cupcakes, lay out 20 cases in cupcake trays. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Put the kettle on for step 5. Beat eggs. Then add the eggs and flour to the mixture alternatively, stirring between each addition. This will make mixing easier and ensure your batter isn’t lumpy. Dissolve instant coffee in 1 tbsp boiling water, getting rid of any lumps. Add this, or espresso shot, to mixture and fold in gently until the colour is even. Pour into tin and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until golden and top of cake is firm. A larger tin may take a bit longer. Remove butter from fridge, to soften for icing. Once cake is ready, leave to cool for 30 minutes whilst you make the icing Put kettle on, if using instant coffee. Cream butter with a fork, then add icing sugar bit by bit. Dissolve coffee powder in 1 tbsp boiling water (or make espresso shots) and stir into icing. Place one half of the cake on a serving plate (if using a large tin, carefully cut in half and put bottom half on plate) and spread just under half of the icing onto this, down the sides as well. Place other half on top, and do the same. Any remaining icing, spread around the sides. Decorate with walnuts or grated chocolate (if using). For cupcakes, you can also follow the above steps, or if you’d prefer to pipe the icing on to the cupcakes, it may be advisable to add 1 tsp boiling water to the icing, so it’s easier to work with.

Failsafe Soft Fudge Ever tried to make fudge and found that it hasn’t ever set, or it’s hard as rock? This is the recipe you need to put all of that behind you and make soft creamy fudge! The recipe takes about 40 minutes, plus waiting for it to set, but it’s worth it! 150 ml / ¼ pint evaporated/condensed 1. milk 2. 150 ml / ¼ pint cold water 75 g / 3 oz butter 450 g / 1 lb granulated sugar ¼ tsp vanilla essence

Variations Creamy fudge Use an extra 150 ml evaporated/ condensed milk instead of 150 ml water

Chocolate fudge Measure 25 g / 1 oz 7. cocoa powder into pan with evaporated/ 8. condensed milk to make smooth paste. Then add other ingredients as normal Rum fudge Add 2 tbsp rum instead of vanilla essence

In the largest saucepan you own, combine evaporated/condensed milk, water (if using), butter and sugar. Heat through slowly until sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile, grease an 18 cm / 7” square tin (or a similar size) with plenty of butter. Bring the pan to boil, stirring constantly so that the fudge doesn’t stick to the pan. It should bubble up (hence the large pan) and begin to thicken. Wear an apron and an oven glove when stirring, as mixture spits and is very hot. When you feel the fudge thickening, temporarily remove from heat, let the bubbles die down. Test to see if it’s ready by dropping a small amount of the mixture into a glass of cold water. If the mixture forms tiny blobs of solid toffee in the water, remove from the heat. If the mixture is still liquid when in cold water, return to heat and return to step 2. Add the vanilla essence/rum. Beat the mixture until it starts to thicken and crystallize. This process is quicker and easier if you first transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl, otherwise the warm pan keeps the mixture runny, and it takes more effort to get it to thicken. You’ll know it’s ready when it is beginning to set when you stop beating it, and it should taste like fudge! Quickly transfer the mixture into the greased tin, using a spoon or a spatula. Spread the mixture into the corners and ensure the surface is level. Leave to set (not in fridge). When surface of fudge is cool, tip tin upside down and tap until fudge pops out. Cut into squares and eat!

The Softest Cookies Ever tried making cookies and ended up with rock hard biscuits? This recipe, if followed correctly, will give you the softest cookies you could hope for. The recipe contains cherries and white chocolate, but these can be exchanged with other ingredients if you so wish. 200 g / 8 oz unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1. 2.

70 g / 3 oz brown sugar 100 g / 4 oz caster sugar 1 egg

3. 4.

225 g / 9 oz self-raising flour (optional) 50 g / 2 oz desiccated coconut

100 g / 4 oz white chocolate 100 g / 4 oz glacé cherries Variation

7. Replace the cherries There are various and chocolate other ingredients that work well in cookies, and what you choose depends entirely on your own taste. Here are some ideas: raspberries, macadamia nuts, walnuts, smarties, dark chocolate, fudge/toffee cubes, apricots, spices (such as cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger), oats, sultanas...

Preheat oven to 190 ̊C/375°F/gas mark 5. Grease two large baking trays. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and both types of sugar. Whisk the egg in a mug, using a fork, then mix into the butter and sugar. Sieve the flour into the bowl and stir in. (If using) add the desiccated coconut and stir in. Chop up the chocolate into rough chunks. Chop all the glacé cherries in half. Add both of these ingredients to the bowl and stir in gently. Spoon dough onto the trays (each cookies about the size of a golfball) and pat down until about 1cm high. Leave plenty of space between each cookie, as they’ll expand a lot in the oven. Dough can also be frozen at this point and reused at another time. (When removing from freezer, leave to warm up to room temperature before baking.) Bake for 7 - 10 minutes until pale golden. They’ll feel extremely soft and must be left to cool down before you remove them from the trays. Repeat on re-greased trays if you have any leftover dough.

Carrot & Orange Drizzle Cake A healthy, moist, light and delicious carrot cake with an ‘orange-drizzle’ topping.

175 g / 6 oz light brown sugar 175 ml / ¼ pint sunflower oil 3 eggs 140 g / 5 oz carrots (peeled and grated) 100 g / 3½ oz sultanas/raisins 1 large orange 175 g / 6 oz self-raising flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg 100 g / 3½ oz icing sugar (use a sieve) or 100 g / 3½ oz granulated sugar (gives a crunchier finish)

Preheat oven to 180 ̊C/350°F/gas mark 4. Oil and line the base of a round/square/loaf tin with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl, stir brown sugar and sunflower oil. Beat the eggs separately, then stir into mix. Add the carrots, sultanas/raisins and grate in the zest of the orange. Combine flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg, then stir into mixture thoroughly. Pour into lined tin and bake for 30 - 40 minutes (may take longer in loaf tin) on middle shelf until firm and a skewer through the centre comes out clean. Meanwhile, gradually add icing/granulated sugar (sieve icing sugar) to juice until white but still watery (enough to sink through the cake). If you’d prefer a white icing that doesn’t sink into the cake, but rests on top, use less juice and more icing sugar, until desired thickness and wait until cake is cool before icing. As soon as cake is out of the oven, spike a few times with a fork or skewer and drizzle the icing over the surface of the cake before removing from the tin. Leave in tin for 5 minutes to set, then remove to cool.

Fruit Sorbets Delicious for the summer, particularly when using fresh locally grown fruit, these sorbets are easy to make, and the recipe is the same for most fruit, so just use whatever you fancy! The recipe makes enough sorbet for a large ice cream tub.

220 g / 7¾ oz caster sugar

200 ml / ¼ pint cold water (roughly) 8 ripe bananas

or (roughly) 500 g / 17½ locally grown oz raspberries or (roughly) 8 large ripe kiwis

3. 4.

2 tbsp lemon/lime juice (optional) 1 tsp grated lemon/lime rind Variation Any fruit Most fruit will work with this recipe. All you need to do is measure the puréed fruit you choose, to make sure it’s between 400 ml and 500 ml.

To make the sugar syrup, put sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a cold bowl, to speed up the cooling. Meanwhile, blend your fruit using a food processor or a handheld blender and measure in jug to make sure the puréed fruit is between 400 ml and 500 ml. If you’d prefer a seedless sorbet, strain the purée through a wire mesh or a fine sieve. Add the lemon/lime juice and the rind (if using) and stir a little. Once sugar syrup is cool, combine with fruit and stir, or blend again. Taste to check flavour; if it needs sweetening, add a little honey or syrup. Pour into plastic bowls or tubs, leaving space at the top for expansion. Cover with cling film, and place in freezer. Alternatively, if you have an ice-cream maker, pour into this, then follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make sorbet. If you do use an ice cream maker, step 5 won’t be necessary. Every hour, remove sorbet from freezer and whisk with a fork, you should start to notice it becoming creamier in colour and texture. Alternatively, leave the sorbet in the freezer until fully frozen. Then remove, and leave to warm a little at room temperature, then blend until soft and creamy. Re-freeze and it should be ready within 3 hours. The latter method takes longer, but means you don’t have to whisk the sorbet every hour. In order to freeze the sorbet in the first place, your freezer should to be as cold as it can be. However, for storing the sorbet after it’s set properly and has been whisked/blended to go creamy, it is better to have the freezer on a lower temperature, so it doesn’t over freeze.

Apple & Cinnamon Flapjacks Such a complimentary combination of flavours, the apple giving flapjacks a moistness you rarely find. These are easy and quick to make, and keep for a week or two.

(juice of) 1 lemon

1. 2 large cooking apples 2. 3. 225 g / 8 oz butter 150 g / 5¼ oz brown sugar 5 tbsp golden syrup 2 tsp cinnamon (for flapjacks)

4. 5.

75 g / 2½ oz sunflower seeds 400 g / 14 oz oats sprinkling cinnamon (for dusting)

Variation Banana and Crush 200 g / 7 oz Raspberry raspberries instead of 8. making the apple syrup, and use this as the syrup. Slice 2 bananas and lay over the layer of raspberry syrup. Eliminate the syrup. (Or experiment with other fruits and different combinations; plums also work particularly well!)

Preheat oven to 190 ̊C/375°F/gas mark 5. Grease or line a 28 cm / 11” square tin (or rough equivalent). Gently heat lemon juice in a small pan. Peel and chop the apples (into small chunks) and add to pan as you go. Increase heat to medium, and stir occasionally with a fork. Meanwhile, in a large, deep pan, melt butter, sugar and syrup until sugar has dissolved. Remove syrup mixture from heat and add seeds and cinnamon. Add oats gradually, stirring in as you go. Don’t worry if the mix seems dry - the apple will add moisture! Once apples are very soft and forming a sauce of sorts, crush any lumps against the side of the pan and remove from the heat. There shouldn’t be too much water in the pan. Press half the flapjack mixture into the base of the tin. Spread the apple sauce evenly over this. Sprinkle the other half of the flapjack mixture over the apple, then carefully rearrange the oats, without dislodging too much of the apple. Press down gently. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and dust immediately with cinnamon, so that it melts on the surface of the flapjacks. Leave to cool before cutting into squares.

German Plum Cake When cooked, especially with anything containing butter and sugar, plums go deliciously moist and turn a bright pink colour. This cake is really easy to make and uses lots of plums, so perfect for the plum season!

100 g / 4 oz soft butter 150 g / 6 oz light brown sugar. Alternatively use caster sugar. 3 eggs 200 g / 8 oz self-raising flour

1. 2.

3. 4.

(optional) 1 tsp cinnamon (optional) ½ tsp nutmeg (roughly) 20 small victoria garden plums

5. 6.

or (roughly) 12 large round shop plums 7. Variation Alternative fruit Although plums work brilliantly, other fruits can work just as well in their place. Try using strawberries, apples, peaches or even slices of mango.

Preheat oven to 180 ̊C/350°F/gas mark 4. Take a 24 cm / 8” square tin (or rough equivalent, can be round as well) and a large piece of tin foil. Mold the tin foil around the outside of the tin to get the shape, then place it inside the tin and brush with oil or butter. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and/or nutmeg (if using either) to flour. Beat eggs. Then add the eggs and flour to the mixture alternatively, stirring until smooth between each addition. Chop each plum in half width-ways and twist to get the stone out. Arrange in the tin with the stone hole facing up. Pack as tightly together as possible. Once tin full of plums, all facing upwards, pour/spread the cake batter evenly over the top, taking care not to dislodge the plums (although, this shouldn’t be a problem if you’ve packed the plums tightly enough). Don’ worry about filling the gaps between the plums, the batter will move into them naturally, once in the oven. Bake in oven for 40 minutes - 1 hour, until golden brown and a skewer through the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool. Once cake has cooled down, turn it quickly upside down onto a clean surface, and remove the foil. Your moist pink plums should be showing through.

Lemon & Ginger Pudding Looks like a cheesecake, tastes better than a cheesecake, and much easier to make! Takes about 30 minutes to make, 1 hour to set. How could you possibly say no?

110 g / 3¾ oz butter 225 g / 8 oz gingernut biscuits 450 g / 16 oz condensed milk 150 ml / ¼ pint double cream juice of 2 lemons Variations

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Grease a 20 cm / 8” round tin, with a removable base. Melt butter in a large pan, over a low heat. Crush biscuits a little in packet, if using all of them. Once liquid, remove from heat. Add biscuits to pan and, using a grinder or suitable tool, crush biscuits until they resemble breadcrumbs. When the mixture is fine, and beginning to stick together, transfer to tin. Press down and level out, using the back of a spoon. Put condensed milk, cream and lemon juice into a mixing bowl and whisk until mixture is thoroughly combined and very thick. Pour over the biscuit base and shake tin gently to level out. Place tin in fridge for an hour, preferably longer, to set.

Orange If you prefer orange 6. with ginger, use a large orange (or two small ones) instead of Serve as a pudding, perhaps with ice cream, some fresh mint and a strawberry lemons. topped with a dusting of icing sugar. Tangy If you’ve tried the normal recipe and don’t find it tangy enough, try adding a little ground ginger or pieces of glacé ginger to the base, and, before juicing the lemons, grate some of the lemon rind to add to the condensed milk and cream.

Spiced Honey Cupcakes Cupcakes don’t have to be sweet and sickly, with brightly coloured icing. This recipe makes about 20 healthy(ish) cupcakes, and takes next to no time at all! The Cupcakes 220 g / 7¾ oz butter

1. 2.

7 tbsp honey 100 g / 3½ oz brown sugar

3 eggs 300 g / 10½ oz self-raising flour 1½ tsp ground/grated root ginger ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp nutmeg The Icing 4 tbsp hard/soft honey Alternative Icing

4. 5. 6. 7.

310 g / 11 oz natural yoghurt 1 tsp vanilla extract 2tbsp honey Variation Layer of fruit At step 6, instead of 1 tbsp of mixture in each case, do 1 tsp, and spread around base of case. Then add a layer of chopped fruit (such as banana, plum, apple, pear...) Top with 2 tsp more of the cake mixture.

Preheat oven to 160 ̊C/325°F/gas mark 3. Lay out roughly 20 cupcake cases in a cupcake oven tray. Alternatively, line and grease a large cake tin, if you’re making one large cake. Over a gentle heat, melt together butter, honey and brown sugar. Once butter melted, bring pan to boil for a minute. Then remove from heat and pour mixture into a large mixing bowl. Leave mixture to cool. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Once mixture is cool, stir in the eggs, then sieve in the flour and spices (unless grated root ginger - in this case, just add to the bowl). Stir together thoroughly. Add 1 heaped tbsp of mixture to each cake case, leaving at least 5 mm space at the top for the cake to rise. Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and top of cake is firm. If making 1 large cake, it could take up to an hour. The Icing Melt the honey over a low heat, until very liquid. Then brush over the cakes (whilst still warm) and leave to cool. Alternative Icing Mix the yoghurt, vanilla and honey in a small mixing bowl. Then drizzle gently onto the cakes (once cool). Decorate with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger. If you’ve used the ‘Alternative Icing’ , you will need to store the cakes in the fridge.

Chocolate Mousse This delicious pudding uses barely any ingredients and only 30 minutes of your time. Perfect come rain or shine! The technique of combining egg-whites with chocolate takes practice, but once mastered, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth it! Serves about 4 (depending on glass size).

170 g / 6 oz dark/milk/white chocolate

4 eggs

2 tbsp caster sugar pinch salt 2 tbsp milk

Variation

3. 4. 5. 6.

Extra flavourings If you like spicy chocolate, or flavoured chocolate, 7. add 1 tsp of the flavouring when you add the yolk to the chocolate. 8. Flavourings might include mint, ginger, chilli, orange etc...

Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, over a pan of gently simmering water. Meanwhile, separate the egg yolks from the whites over a mixing bowl, by breaking the shell, then passing the yolk from one half to the other, whilst the whites spill out into the bowl. Retain one egg yolk in a mug for using later. The other yolks wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be needed. Whisk the yolk with a fork and set aside. Remove chocolate from heat, once all melted. Once cool, stir in the egg yolk. Then, add sugar and salt to the egg whites and whisk them until they are white, form stiff peaks and begin to smell like meringues. Quickly mix milk into the chocolate, to soften and make it easier to combine, then, before the egg-whites lose their air, pour the chocolate into the side of the bowl (so as not to crush them). Do not beat. Gently fold the chocolate into the whites, using a spatula or a metal spoon. Do this until the mixture is brown, although there may still be some chocolate at the bottom, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to risk over mixing the whites and losing all the air. Pour into ramekins or glasses, scraping out the chocolate from the bottom to rest on top of the mousse. Put into the fridge immediately, and leave to set for at least an hour (preferably a few more). Serve as a pudding, with a glass of milk and some fresh fruit.

A Simple Apple Cake The secret to a perfect apple cake is simplicity. Don’t add too many nuts and dried fruits, because then it loses its’ moistness and that gorgeous fruity flavour. This apple cake is perfect for the apple season, and only takes an hour to make! 175 g / 6 oz margarine/soft butter 1. 2. 175 g / 6 oz caster sugar 3 eggs 225 g / 8 oz self-raising flour 2 tsp cinnamon

3. 4.

600 g / 1½ lb cooking apples (roughly 3 large ones) 5. Variation Nutty If you really like that 6. nutty texture, add about 75 g / 2½ oz chopped walnuts (But I’d recommend you try the basic recipe 7. first, it really is delicious!)

Preheat oven to 160 ̊C/325°F/gas mark 3. Line a 20 cm / 8” round tin with greaseproof paper, ensuring that it’s firmly pressed into the base of the tin. Alternatively, use a square tin. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon to flour. Beat eggs. Then add the eggs and flour to the mixture alternatively, stirring between each addition. This will make mixing easier and ensure your batter isn’t lumpy. The batter should be quite dense; it needs to be, as the apples add a lot of moistness. Peel, core and quarter the first apple, then cut into long thin slices. Add immediately to mixture and stir in before doing the same with the next apple (and so on). This keeps the apples fresher. Add walnuts (if using) Scoop mixture into cake tin, trying to get all of the apple slices in first. Press the mixture into the tin, making sure there are no air gaps. Then scrape around the bowl for the remaining cake mixture and cover the top of the cake with this. Make the cake level, although make a tiny well in the middle, as this bit will rise higher in the oven. Bake in oven for 1 hour or more, until golden brown and a skewer through the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before attempting to cut; it’s much easier to cut once cool! If using a square tin, slice into strips for apple cake fingers! Tastes delicious warm, with custard or ice cream and toffee sauce (see Sticky Toffee Pudding) or eat cold for the same delicious flavour!

Chewy Gingernut Biscuits Easy to make, perfect for snacks or dipping in chai tea when sat around the fire at Christmas! They’ll take under an hour to prepare and this recipe should make 20 - 30 biscuits, depending on the size you make them. 200 g / 7 oz plain flour

Preheat oven to 180 ̊C/350°F/gas mark 4. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground spices and root 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda ginger. ½ tsp ground ginger 3. Cut butter into small chunks and tip into bowl. Before rubbing in with fingers, ½ tsp ground cinnamon wash hands with cold water, so your body heat doesn’t melt the butter. Rub flour and butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. ½ tsp ground nutmug 4. Add glacé ginger pieces (if using) and sugar. Spread evenly throughout the 1 tsp grated root ginger mixture. 100 g / 3½ oz butter/margarine 5. Make a well in breadcrumbs and add syrup. Cover with handfuls of breadcrumbs to make it less sticky to work with. Work the mixture with your (optional) 75 g / 3 oz chopped glacé ginger hands until syrup is better combined (it can still be quite crumby). 180 g / 6 oz light brown sugar (or 6. Crack egg into drinking mug, removing any shell, and whisk well with a fork. combine dark brown Add this to the mixture in the same way as the syrup, covering with crumbs. sugar with caster 7. Rub hands with plain flour, and then bring the dough together so it is all of even sugar) texture and colour. 3 tbsp golden syrup 8. Place bowl in fridge to chill, for at least 5 minutes. 1 egg 9. Meanwhile, grease two large baking trays. 10. Remove dough from fridge. Either place dough on floured surface, and roll out with a floured rolling pin until 5 mm thick, then cut into circles and place on tray 4 cm apart from each other. Or cover hands in flour, make golf ball sized pieces of dough, place on trays, then squash with palm of hand until about 1 cm thick; keep a 5 cm gap between each one, as they will expand. This method is much easier, especially if your dough is very sticky, and the biscuits come out looking the same. 11. Bake for 5 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown. When you remove the biscuits from the oven, they should still be soft. This means they will be chewy once

1. 2.

Millionaire Shortbread Always easy to make; however, this recipe ensures you get a thick oozing layer of delicious homemade caramel, and a perfectly proportioned layer of biscuit - i.e. not so much that it overpowers the caramel and chocolate, but enough for some crunch.

The Base 175 g / 6 oz plain flour 125 g / 4½ oz butter (at room temperature)

1. 2. 3.

50 g / 1¾ oz soft brown sugar The Topping 50 g / 1¾ oz butter 3 tbsp soft brown sugar

400 g / 16 oz can condensed milk 200 g / 8 oz milk/dark chocolate 6. 7.

Preheat oven to 190 ̊C/375°F/gas mark 5. Grease a 23 cm / 9” square tin. Alternatively, use a round cake tin. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, add the sugar. After washing your hands under cold water, rub in the butter with your fingers until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Bring dough together with your hands; it should stick together without any need to add water. Press the dough into the bottom of the tin, using the back of a spoon and your palms to make it level. Prick with a fork every cm or so, and place in oven for 20 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside to cool. For the topping, melt the butter, sugar and condensed milk together in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture starts to bubble. Reduce heat. Stir until caramel is thick, sticky and pale gold and almost sets in place when you remove the spoon. Pour caramel over the cooled shortbread (still in the tin) and leave to cool. Once caramel is firm, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Once melted, pour chocolate over the caramel and leave the tin in a cool place, for the chocolate to set. Cut into squares/triangles and remove from tin, or vice versa.

With thanks to... Miles (and family) - for lending me crockery, eating up the puddings I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t manage by myself, and letting me mess up their kitchen making things! And Miles, for sorting out my erratic laptop! Elizabeth - for letting me use the oven freezer and cake tins, when almost every one of my kitchen appliances stopped working! Mum - for working around my crazy cooking moments, and helping to fund the recipe development process, and for many inspiring soups! Grandma & Danny - for all the plums and apples from their garden, delicious! Miss Lewis - for kicking the Recipe Book project off, and all the encouragement along the way!

And for inspiring certain recipes in the book, thanks to Laura, Pam, Sarah Britton, The Squiers, Ursula, Ceci, Caroline, Barney, Foodgawker, The Bean Book, The foodies of BBC GoodFood, 63bites cafĂŠ (New York) and the unknown (to me, anyway) cooking teacher at John of Gaunt school!